About the installation

World Premiere

Omnipresent on our planet, water also exists in various states across the universe - most intriguingly, as droplets in microgravity. Astronomical water (2025) invites the public to rediscover the sublime nature of water, questioning our relationship with this elemental substance, its inherent magic, and its life-giving force.

Echoing his performance 1 drop 1000 years, Martin Messier envisions an installation composed of a hundred droppers arranged across three large panels. Visitors are invited to move through and around the structure, at times observers of the panoramic view, at other times immersed within the device itself. Through the rhythmic fall of droplets and stroboscopic lighting, the artist manipulates retinal persistence to reverse or freeze the motion of water. The pictures shift: first accentuating the pull of gravity, then offering the illusion of water suspended in midair. Sound is reduced to its essence: the opening and closing of valves. This mechanical rhythm accompanies the falling droplets and emphasizes their material presence.

Astronomical water offers a screenless immersive experience where time seems to stretch, an introspective and contemplative work that lingers in the viewer’s perception, inviting deeper reflection on the world once the encounter concludes.

About the artist

The Montréal-based artist Martin Messier^CA/QC creates works blending sound art, light, robotics, and video. His performances and installations emphasize the body. Collaborating with various artists, his creations have been presented in 50 countries and have won numerous international awards. He has directed the company 14 lieux since 2010.

Astronomical water by Martin Messier

MUTEK thanks the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for its financial support.

With the support of the Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]